Turnip Health Benefits: Weight Management, Liver Protection, More

Known for their distinct shape and colors (which changes according to season), turnips are one of the most important vegetable crops that man has ever cultivated and grown since they're used to feed both humans and cattle.

But it's not just this flexibility to feed farm animals and the farmers that make turnips important, it's also because they're incredibly healthy and provide a slew of health benefits. In fact, just like most cruciferous vegetables, their roots and leaves are also safe to eat and provide a number of health benefits as well.

Here are what you get from these bulb-shaped wonders.

Turnip Time

In true cruciferous vegetable fashion, turnips are low in calories but pack quite the punch when it comes to vitamins and nutrients. This includes protein, fiber, calories, carbs, vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium and folate. Additionally, the quantity of these nutrients is significantly higher when you eat the turnip greens. The leaves also contain additional vitamin K and provitamin A.

Because of this, turnips can do a great deal when it comes to improving your health. Benefits include:

May protect against harmful bacteria – Turnips are known to have isothiocyanates, which are compounds capable of stopping bacterial and microbial growth. In fact, studies have even found that these compounds can easily fight E. coli and S. aureus, both of which cause very serious conditions.

Anti-inflammatory effects – The same compounds that turnips use to fight bacteria are the same ones that it can use to help fight inflammation, a symptom that is usually associated with more life-threatening conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Anti-cancer properties – Thanks to glucosinolates, turnips may also have anti-cancer properties. This is because these compounds provide antioxidant activity, which can mitigate the cancer-promoting effects caused by oxidative stress. Its vitamin C content can also help spread the growth of cancer cells. Additionally, it's flavonoid content can also contribute as well.

Help control blood sugar levels – According to studies, turnips may have anti-diabetic effects via helping managing your blood sugar levels, which is often the biggest contributor when it comes to diabetes development.

Turnips are best known for their numerous health benefits. Photo by Pixabay (CC0)

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